So, your first quarter didn’t go as planned. Maybe you missed your transaction/volume goal, didn’t get the listings you had hoped for, the buyers in your pipeline decided to press pause or perhaps you simply didn’t do the work.  The one piece of good news I have for you is, you are not alone.  Many agents had a challenging first quarter.  This is a difficult market and it’s easy to get discouraged, frustrated and lose focus.  

Having said that.  There are other agents out there who are crushing it and they are facing the same market conditions that you are.  So what are they doing differently? 

But first things first.  Take a minute and breathe.  Literally.  Clear your mind and focus on your breathing.  You will get through this.  Now, let’s take a look at a few things.  Remember, you still have 9 months to achieve your goals.

Revisit Your Goals

When you made your goals last year, were they realistic or aspirational?  Realistic goals take into consideration your available resources, market conditions and your commitment to doing the work.  Aspirational goals are meant to stretch you and make you feel a bit uncomfortable.   Your goals should be somewhere in between these two.  The goal is to feel challenged, yet not defeated.

Breakdown Your Work

Take a look at what you did in the first quarter.

• How many listing appointments did you have?
• How many listings did you secure?
• How many buyer consultations did you do?
• How many buyers decided to work with you?
• How many open houses did you hold?
• How many open house visitors decided to work with you?
• What other lead generation activities did you do?
• Were you consistent?

These numbers will give you an idea as to how many people you need to talk to in order to have them commit to working with you.  This will also give you an idea as to what areas you are strong in and what areas need improvement.

Get Support

No one succeeds alone.  It’s okay to ask for help. Being a real estate agent can often feel isolating, but it doesn’t have to be.  Ask some of the agents in your office or in your market to see if you can start an accountability group.  Knowing you have to report your actions to someone else is a great way to show up and get the work done. You may also want to consider hiring a coach to help you identify areas that need improvement and one that will motivate you to do the work.

There is Plenty of Time Left

You have 9 months to reach your goals.  Now is the time to double down on income producing activities.  Commit to getting in front of someone every day who is looking to buy or sell real estate.  Now is not the time to hide behind email, text messages or social media.  Selling real estate is a contact sport.  You need to get face to face with people and be consistent in your activities.

— Candy Miles-Crocker is a founding coach of The Helm and the creator and coach of The Real-Life Real Estate Training. You can learn more about her here.